Roll-carrying typewriter attachment



1959 E. c. BURGESS ROLL-CARRYING TYPEWRITER ATTACHMENT Filed Sept. 24. 1956 INVENTOR. EM ORV C. BURGESS BY. ZUMMJLHSM,

.4 7" TOFrN V6 United States Patent Ofifice 2,908,371 Patented Oct. 13, 1959 ROLL-CARRYING TYPEWRITER ATTACHMENT Emory Chandler Burgess, Mankato, Minn. Application September 24, 1956, Serial No. 611,517 3 Claims. 01. 197-133 This invention relates to typewriter accessories and more specifically'relates to a label roll carrier.

An object of my invention is to provide a label rollcarrying typewriter attachment of simple and inexpensive construction and operation which may be readily and easily applied to substantially all types of typewriters.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a novel typewriter attachment for mounting label rolls of substantially any length in any of a plurality of positions along the length of the roller platen.

A further object of my invention is to provide an improved typewriter attachment wherein by means of a simple adjustment, label rolls of different sizes may be mounted on and removed from the typewriter carriage, and tension may be exerted on the rolls to control pay off of the rolled labels therefrom.

These and other objects and advantages of my invention will more fully appear from the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the several views and in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a typewriter showing the attachment comprising the present invention secured to the platen carriage thereof;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation View of the attachment;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section view of the attachment and taken on a vertical plane as indicated substantially at 33 inFig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation view in substantially reduced scale of a typewriter having a modified form of the invention secured to the platen carriage; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of. the modified form of the attachment shown in Fig. 4.

The first form of the invention shown in Figs. 1-3 shows the basic construction of the attachment and is primarily adapted for mounting upon a typewriter of the type having a substantially upright rear surface 11 on the platen carriage 12 which moves transversely of the typewriter in a conventional manner for carrying the platen or roller 13 of the typewriter in transverse directions. A conventional platen control knob 14 extends from the side of the carriage 12 for rolling the platen 13 and causing paper fed thereunder to be carried therearound.

The attachment which is indicated in general by numeral 15 includes bracket means for mounting on the platen carriage 12. In the form shown such bracket means include a bracket plate 16 having a plurality of apertures 17 therein for receiving screws for securing the plate to the upright rear surface 11 of the platen carriage. The bracket plate 16 has opposite end portions 18 which may be formed integrally of the plate 16 and which extend transversely thereof and in a rearward direction. Mounting recesses 19 are formed in the upper edges of the ends 18 of bracket plate 16 and are disposed in alignment with each other. Upwardly opening channels 20 are secured to the plate ends 18 in alignment with the recesses 19.

An elongated rigid mounting member or bar 21 which, as best seen in Fig. 3, is substantially rectangular in cross section, is removably mounted at its opposite ends in the upwardly opening channels 20 and recesses 19 of the bracket plate ends 18. The lower side of the mounting member 21 is notched along the length thereof to provide a plurality of teeth 22 which, in the form shown, are substantially square in shape. It should be understood that teeth 22 and the corresponding notches could as well have a different shape such as a V shape.

Slidable means mounted on the mounting member 21 for rotatably mounting a roll of labels and the like. Labels are commonly provided in roll form with perforations between the adjacent labels to facilitate ready and easy tearing of individual labels from the roll. In

I the form shown, such means include a pair of spaced and opposed and generally circular roll supports or spool ends 23 and 24 respectively which extend transversely and generally upwardly from the mounting member 21, and which are formed of stiff but resiliently yieldable sheet material such as thin sheet metal. It will be noted 'that the inner opposed roll-engaging surfaces 25 and 26 respectively of the roll supports 23 and 24 are substantially conical in shape and taper inwardly toward each other at their central portions for engaging the opposite ends of the label roll adjacent the hollow center of the roll. The roll supports 23 and 24 have aligned shaft end portions 28 and 29 aifixed thereto to provide a roll mounting rod or shaft 27 between said supports.

End portion 28 of shaft 27 comprises a hollow sleeve and the end portion 29 is telescopically received thereinto and is separable therefrom. It will therefore be seen that the shaft 27 is longitudinally adjustable or extendible and retractable to facilitate movement of the roll supports 23 and 24 toward and away from each other for mounting label rolls of different lengths therebetween and on the shaft 27.

Means are provided for movably mounting the upright supports 23 and 24 on the mounting member 21 to facilitate moving of the supports 23 and 24 toward and away from each other and to facilitate moving of both of these supports toward one end of the mounting member or the other end thereof in order to feed the labels to the platen at a desired position along the length thereof. In the form shown such means comprise a pair of slides 30 and 31 which are respectively afiixed to the opposite upright roll supports 23 and 24 and which are slidably mounted on the mounting member 21. The slides 30 and 31 have substantially rectangular recesses 32 extending longitudinally therethrough to receive the mounting member 21 in close fitting relation and prevent any turning of the slides with respect to the mounting member. The slides 30 and 31 thereby firmly hold the roll supports 23 and 24 in upright positions.

Means are provided for releasably securing the slides 30 and 31 at desired positions along the length of mounting member 21. Each of the slides 30 and 31 is provided with a vertically movable stop element or dog 33 which releasably engages the teeth 22 of mounting member 21 and which has a vertically slidably mounted shank portion 34 extending through the top of the slide. A head or button 35 is secured to the upper end of shank 34, and a compression spring 36 may be interposed between the top of the slide and the head 35 to urge the shank 34 and stop element 33 upwardly into a notch between adjacent teeth 22 of the mounting member 21.

A modified form of mounting is shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The attachment shown is identical to that shown in Figs. I3 and a pair of bracket elements 37 and 38 are secured to the bracket plate 16 as by bolts 39. The bracket elements 37 and 38 have flanges 40 and 41 respectively which are disposed at an angle with the up- 3 7 right bracket plate 16 to facilitate mounting of the attachment upon the inclined rear surface 42 of the platen carriage 43 of typewriter 44. Many of the typewriters used in small retail establishments such as drugstores are of the portable type which frequently have the forwardly and upwardly inclined rear surface 42. The bracket elements 37 and 38 adapt the attachment for use on such typewriters as these. The flanges 40 and 41 of the bracket elements are provided with suitable apertures 45 for bolting the bracket elements 37 and 38 to the carriage 43.

When the label roll mounting bracket is attached to the typewriter carriage, the buttons 35 will be depressed to disengage the dogs 33 from the teeth 22 and the slides 30 will be moved apart to move the roll supports 23 and 24 apart. As the roll supports 23 and 24 are moved away from each other, the shaft end portions 28 and 29 are telescopically separated. A roll of labels having a hollow center is mounted upon one of the shaft end portions and the roll supports 23 and 24 are moved together again causing the shaft end portion 29 to be telescopically moved into the tubular shaft end portion 28. The slides 30 and 31 and their corresponding roll supports 23 and 24 may be moved together in the same direction to the desired position on the mounting member 21 so as to feed the labels from the roll to the typewriter platen to the desired position along the length thereof. When the roll of labels has been properly positioned in relation to the platen, the spool ends or roll supports 23 and 24 will be moved into engagement with the opposite roll ends causing the conically shaped surfaces 25 and 26 to engage the roll ends adjacent the hollow center of the roll. A slight tension may be applied against the roll ends to prevent undesired unwinding of the labels from the roll. The slides 30 and 31 will be held in position by the dogs or stiff elements 33. The spool ends 23 and 24 may be yielded slightly to permit insertion of the dogs into one of the notches and to maintain a proper tension upon the roll carried between the spool ends and on the shaft 27. It should be noted that rolls of difierent lengths can readily be accommodated between the spool ends and on the shaft 27.

It will be seen that I have provided a new and improved typewriter attachment for securing a label roll on the platen carriage thereof and for accommodating rolls of different sizes and maintaining tension on the rolls to prevent undesired unwinding of the labels.

It should also be apparent that I have provided a labelcarrying attachment for a typewriter which may be readily and easily adjusted to position the roll for feeding labels to the platen at any desired position along the length thereof.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, detail, arrangement and proportion of the parts without departing from the scope of my invention which consists of the matter described herein and set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An attachment for carrying a roll of labels and the like on a typewriter, comprising bracket means securable to the platen carriage of such a typewriter, an elongated mounting member carried on said bracket means, a pair of spaced and opposed non-rotatable roll supports mounted on said mounting member and extending transversely outwardly therefrom, one of said supports and said mounting member being relatively movable longitudinally of said mounting member, and releasable securing means operatively associated with said mounting member and said last mentioned support for retaining the same in a predetermined position, said roll supports having inner surfaces respectively opposing each other for engaging the roll ends, said inner surfaces being generally comically shaped with the central portions projecting inwardly toward each other for engaging the end of the label roll adjacent its hollow center and exerting tension on the roll to restrict unwinding thereof.

2. An attachment for carrying a roll of labels and the like on a typewriter, comprising bracket means securable to the platen carriage of such a typewriter, an elongated mounting member carried on said bracket means, a pair of spaced and opposed roll supports mounted on said mounting member and extending transversely thereof, one of said supports and said mounting member being movable longitudinally of the mounting member, releasable securing means operatively associated with said last mentioned support and the mounting member for restricting movement thereof, and a telescopically extendible, retractable and separable shaft having opposite ends re spectively secured to said roll supports whereby to facilitate ready and easy mounting of the roll on the shaft and between the supports.

3. An attachment for carrying a roll of labels and the like on a typewriter, comprising bracket means securable ,to an upright rear surface of the platen carriage of such a typewriter and having bracket portions extending rearwardly from the typewriter carriage and adjacent the opposite ends thereof, said bracket portions having vertically opening recesses therein, an elongated mounting bar extending between said bracket portions and being supported in the recesses thereof, said bar and said recesses being cooperatively shaped to prevent rotation of the bar in the recesses, a pair of roll supports spaced from each other and slidably mounted on the bar for movement therealong and for movement off the ends of the bar when the bar is lifted Off the recessed bracket portions, said roll supports having means releasably securable to the bar for preventing movement of the support along the bar, and a telescopically extendible, retractable and separable shaft having its opposite ends aflixed to said supports in spaced relation with the bar, whereby to permit ready and easy mounting and changing of rolls of substantially any length up to the distance between said recessed bracket portions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 600,333 Meeker Mar. 8, 1898 975,099 Yaw Nov. 8, 1910 1,158,453 De Camp Nov. 2, 1915 1,814,142 Frantz July 14, 1931 2,625,252 Riddle et al. Jan. 13, 1953 

